My first take on the sketch followed it exactly.
As you can see, this layout is perfect for using washi tape, and I love how my first card turned out. To make the center of the flower, I put two strips of the narrow orange plaid tape onto a piece of scrap paper and punched a circle from it. Then, I put an epoxy dome sticker over that and glued it to the center of two layered daisy punched shapes. The result is fresh and fun and colorful!
Also note how I used three orange elements: the sentiment, the bottom stripe of tape, and the flower center. That helps unify the whole design, don't you think? I do!
Then, I decided to repeat the sketch with different tape, and that's when things got...wonky.
Try as I might, nothing I used in the place of the flower looked good (including another flower!). I tried punched hearts, larger hearts cut with Fiskars ShapeCutter templates, red hearts, white hearts, single hearts, pairs of hearts. Whatever I tried made the whole design look chaotic and busy. Something black might have worked to draw the eye, but a black heart? Some pretty scary symbolism there, don't you think?
I decided to make the sentiment the focal point by adding bling, but it's not enough to create a strong draw for the eye.
Why the difficulty? These tapes are wider and busier and bolder than the ones on the first card. The fact that they are all red (such a strong color!) creates an overwhelming dominance that takes over the card, and because the red prints are so busy, your eye simply doesn't know where to go. In the first card, the yellow, orange, and teal play nicely together. Here, you're bowled over by red.
Which may not be such a bad thing, considering. Despite the obvious design flaw, I like the red card. It certainly conveys its message of love in a big way, and it feels purposeful and unified.
Which goes to show that not every card you make has to be "perfect" to be successful!
Jonah Update
Jonah is doing well with his treatments, but he recently asked his mom when he will get more cards! It took him a LONG time to open all the Christmas and Valentine cards, and once he'd opened them all, he looked for more. It's so nice to know that the little guy appreciates all the love and card hugs he's received. His fifth birthday is April 12th, and the cards are already starting to come in.
Remember to check the tabbed page at the top of the blog to see if your card has arrived yet. If you want to send a birthday card, please send it to Jonah, c/o Susan Raihala, 7430 Waterway Dr, Waynesville, OH 45068.
To see recent pictures of Jonah and the updates his mother has posted, visit his Facebook page, Jonah Eleison.
Supplies
stamps: Year Round Sentiments (Hero Arts)
ink: Memento
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: assorted washi tape, daisy punch, 3/4" circle punch, epoxy sticker, heart-shaped rhinestones, dimensionals
That's some great Washi tape, Susan. The patterns are such fun. The bling is a perfect enhancement to the sentiment.
ReplyDeleteI think your first card looks great. I love the colors and the flower with its perfect placement. I wonder if the second card could have been improved my punching a heart out of the same spot. That would create some more white space. Maybe a smaller punched heart could be popped up inside the negative left. Perhaps that is just too much work?
ReplyDeleteLovely cards!
ReplyDeleteWashi tape? Layers? Am I in the right place? :)
ReplyDeleteLove that first card -- it screams my favorite color combo! :)
ReplyDeleteI love your cards today, Susan. And, I appreciated the lesson. When you explained why your first card worked, it made total sense. And, I loved reading what you thought the issues were with your second card. Thanks for the update on Jonah. I see that you received his birthday card, and I will definitely make some more cards for him. I think it is so sweet that he wants more cards, and I am happy to do that one small thing for him.
ReplyDeleteFantastic use of washi, and that daisy is so delicious!
ReplyDelete